antwerp

Firstly, I'd like to thank anyone who offers advice.

I know little of what I want to do or study. I don't wish to study the sciences, math or arts as I'm neither passionate nor talented in those disciplines. I want to be in a career/industry where I can comfortably make a lot of money (My family's poor.) I'm keen on entering the banking/finance/consultancy industry or something entrepreneurial subsequently.

I'm inclined towards a business or economics degree. Some contend that an undergraduate business degree is not useful and can be acquired later in one's career. Moreover, they argue that an Economics degree develops one's critical thinking and analytical skills and is looked upon more favorably by companies.

I'm stupid. All my life, I've worked harder than others and still get poorer grades. I'm sick of studying subjects which I'm neither interested about nor good in. I've never studied Economics nor Business subjects previously. But I know I'd prefer to study a subject that is directly applicable to my career as I've noticed I grasp subjects better when they are related to the "real-world" and less abstract. I suck at tests and exams but do better in projects. I've heard that Economics can involve a lot of math which is my Achilles' heel.

I understand that there will be lots of work in college and I'm willing to face that. However, I want to be in a school where it's not all about academics and competition for the best jobs. I want to try so many new things and meet new people in college. I don't wish to spend all my time studying.

I'm current looking to study Economics at Northwestern and Duke. For Berkeley and Michigan, I'm thinking of entering their respective business schools while I'm there. Lastly, I'm considering Cornell's Applied Economics and Management program. All look like solid choices.

I know it's difficult to make a comparison, but in your opinion, which would be a better fit for me?

Thank you.

Beejay

Very tough decision, but if you're looking away from competition, I'd stay away from Berkeley.

I'd say go with Duke or Cornell, but at the end of the day, it's what you want.

Alexandre

"I'm stupid. All my life, I've worked harder than others and still get poorer grades."

Are you sure you want to go to Duke, Cornell, NU, Ross or Haas? Students at those schools have average SAT scores over 2100 and mean unweighed GPAs over 3.8. Economics at all those schools will be very academic in nature, as will Business. Undergraduate Business programs aren't nearly as project based as MBA programs. That's because projects assume a certain understanding of the real world that undergrads simply do not have. As such, undergraduate business programs are going to be more theoretical in nature.

I recommend you reajust your expectations.

rjkofnovi

It turns out our friend is not really stupid at all. He/she informed me on another board that he/she has already been accepted into Duke and Berkeley for 2009. I never knew anyone could get accepted anywhere that early, but I assume it's for the winter term of '09. Could someone here give this student advise on the benefits of Ross as compared to the others?

JohnDoe123

I think the decision will be a lot easier after you get your decisions back from the schools. I couldn't decide between UMich and MIT, but as it turned out, the choice was very easy.

antwerp

@Alexandre,

Thank you for responding to my thread. I've read through many of the posts on the Michigan boards and am impressed at your passion for the school.

I am not entirely sure I want to be in these schools which is why I am asking this question. I've been accepted into Duke and Berkeley but chose Duke in the end. As I won't enroll in college till 2009, I still have the option of applying to other schools next year and am considering where I would be the most comfortable in.

Alexandre

You aren't going to get better than Duke. Hands down one of the finest universities on Earth. From what you say, I think Duke would be a good fit.

antwerp

@rjkofnovi,

I had a tough time in school. Perhaps it was because I was very active involved in ECs but I've seen people who are equally involved and yet do very well academics-wise.

I never fully understood most of my classes. I took a long time assimilating what was taught in class and would occasionally have to schedule appointments with my teachers to clarify the subject material. I also had trouble comprehending notes and textbooks and often had to resort to rewriting the content.

I took a much longer time and effort than my peers to complete homework. As such, I was always lagging behind my classmates and the homework 'debt' would only grow larger as the term progressed. As such, when it came to tests and exams, I would always be struggling to simply complete and review prior material. Needless to say, I did not do well. I was well below average and had to attend remedial classes.

In fact, I had to resort to getting one of my teachers for my sophomore year to write one of my recommendation letters because I think my junior and senior year teachers had relatively less confidence in my abilities. In fact, they often persuaded me to take less demanding classes and to lower my expectations in life.

I often felt disappointed and questioned my capabilities. Also, because of the time I spent on school activities and academics, I did not have much time outside of school and missed opportunities to develop myself (e.g. take up an instrument, learn a foreign language, join cooking classes.)

I hope this gives you a better understanding of disposition.

liberate

Yet you still managed to get into Duke and Berkeley. What are your test scores? You must be more intelligent than you make yourself out to be.

brownflavors

Wow. I seriously would have thought I created this thread. I got into the exact same schools!

I chose Michigan; you chose Duke. Good Luck with everything!

Alexandre

You are doing me proud Brownflavors!

Alexandre

Antwerp, did you check out Michigan's school of Public Policy? It is ranked among the top 10 in the nation and is an interesting alternative to students interested in Economics/Business.

Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy | University of Michigan

bruno123

I don't understand. You say your grades were poor, but yet you got into Duke and Berkeley and won't enroll until 2009 (meaning you are taking a gap year or have been accepted as a junior ? ). You have also posted the same thread to several different forums.

antwerp

@brownflavors,

Are you in-state for Michigan?

@Alexandre,

Do you know what is the nature of the Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy? From what I've learned from the website, it is a liberal arts degree and adopts a problem-based approach to learning. It includes a mixture of Economics, Statistics and Politics. Important components will be research work and independent study. In particular, (Public Policy 495) will require presentations of the completed research to public officials. It seems heavier on analysis and critical thinking while mathematics seems much less important. Of course, the bulk of the degree would be focused on policy analysis and policy-making.

Do you know how companies view a PP (Public Policy) Major as compared to an Economics/Pre-Business Major. Looking at the rough outline of the curriculum, PP looks more suitable for students intending to work in the government/non-profits. I guess PP would also be very suitable for consulting but I'm not so sure for banking/finance.

antwerp

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^